Are eggs healthy or not?

Last week I was asked: If my trainer tells me I need to eat more protein… Can I eat eggs? How many eggs a day is not too many? Fair question! Information on eggs is very confusing. So friend or foe? Are eggs healthy or not?

Well… Eggs -depending on where you source them- can be one of the most nutritious foods on the planet or can be extremely toxic. Literally. So it’s very important to know how to choose your eggs. And great news: it’s very easy!

Are eggs healthy or not? It all comes down to inflammation…

Are eggs healthy or not?

Inflammation fuelled by our western diet is at the root of many modern lifestyle diseases: obesity, cardiovascular diseases, allergies, diabetes type 2… You name it. Our consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 is the best example of this, in particular when it comes to eggs.

Both these essential fatty acids are required by the body for good health, but while omega-3 is anti-inflammatory, omega-6 is pro-inflammatory (causes inflammation).

Ideally, our diets should include an equal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, or at least a ratio of 1 to 3. However, this ratio has risen dramatically over time. In the 1930s, it went from 8.5 to 1; in the 1980s from 12 to 1; and now it’s estimated to be at 25 to 1, which means we’re consuming 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3! No wonder we are pretty much all inflamed!

The reason for this is mainly due to butter being widely replaced by corn and soybean oil in processed foods and animals being fed grains instead of grass for the past 60 years.

Are eggs healthy or not? Let’s go back to real food.

Organic ONLY!

Going back to real food is critical to reduce inflammation and when it comes to eggs, it’s very simple. Consider this:

Eggs laid by chickens raised in cages, barns or even in free-range environments and fed with processed food and grains only, have up to four times less omega-3, and much more omega-6: they therefore dangerously promote inflammation in our bodies – the last thing we want.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘free-range’ label, which basically means nothing at all.

There is little difference between cages, barn, free range and uncertified organic eggs. Beak trimming is often permitted, animals are fed with processed foods and grains only, they don’t go outside and can be up to 10,000 per hectare.

The solution?Organic-certified eggs! Produced by chickens living humanely on organic pastures, organic eggs are one of the most nutritious, healthy, whole foods on the planet, extremely rich in minerals, vitamins, anti-oxidants, super health fats and clean proteins. You could survive on organic eggs! Quite simply, non-organic eggs are toxic. When organic, you can eat 3 eggs a day – the only exception would be for diabetics.

So please, go for tip-top quality (organic, local) and never ever be satisfied with second best! Your health deserves the investment. One good way of spending less on organic eggs is to buy directly from local farms. Simply ask them how they raise and feed their animals.

ORGANIC only, it’s not negotiable!

Are eggs healthy or not? Don’t forget the yolk!

Scrambled eggs with truffle olive oil…

Please, please, please eat the yolk! This is where all the goodness comes from.

All the egg paranoia started when the yolk in the eggs was supposed to raise cholesterol and to make you fat. Do you remember the times when the healthiest thing to do was to eat the whites only? How silly! How wrong! We now do know it’s not true but mindsets are difficult to shift sometimes.

We also know that eggs can be a great ally to lose weight, in particular when eating at breakfast. They are also critical for brain health and cardiovascular function. So let’s embrace what mother nature is giving us and let’s enjoy eggs (organic!), one of its best gifts for our health.

Let’s be creative: hard boiled, soft boiled, scrambled, omelette or even raw, it’s difficult to get bored with eggs. My favourite? Scrambled eggs with truffle olive oil and some grated Parmesan or Comte: simply add a dash of truffle olive oil before serving and then add the cheese. Serve with a few asparagus or Brussels sprouts depending on the season…. It’s so simple, so delicious and so healthy. Your friends will ask you for the recipe!

Do you have your own favourite egg recipe? Tell me!

Bon appetit!

Yves

This advice in this document is not professional medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please see an appropriate medical practitioner.

2 Comments

Thank you for your question, Kerin. Some experts agree to say that eating eggs when you have diabetes is not recommended (as its fat content can increase your cholesterol level) and should be limited to 3 or 4 a week… However there is growing evidence showing that eggs could actually be beneficial. So the best thing to do is to ask your GP.